Localization and neuroanatomy of catecholaminergic neurons in some rotifer species

Abstract

We studied Dicranophorus sp ., Platyias quadricornis (Ehrb .) and Rotaria tardigrada (Ehrb .) . These rotifers, systematically distant from each other, show the same pattern of the catecholaminergic (CA-ergic) part of the nervous system . It is formed of a small (23-24), but steady number of neurons characteristic for each species . Three types of CA-ergic neurons are described. The sizes of neurons vary from to two to ten µm . The distribution of the brain neurons is correlated with body shape . Such a type of nervous system is topographically comparable to the concentrated orthogon of the flatworms . 123

Immunodetection of Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Prolactin (PRL) in Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera: Monogononta)

“…These areas stained for the hormones match the areas where the colinergic and catecolaminergic systems have been reported (Nogrady & Alai 1983, Raineri 1984, Kotikova, 1995, 1998, Kotikova et al 2005, Pineda-Rosas et al 2005. Furthermore, in these areas there have been already reports of the presence of exocitotic proteins in rotifers, suggesting the presence of a cholinergic system coupled to a hormone release system (Pérez-Legaspi et al 2008).…”

“…The catecholaminergic and cholinergic system of several rotifer species has been studied by several authors (Nogrady & Alai 1983, Raineri 1984, Kotikova 1995, 1998, Kotikova et al 2005, Pineda-Rosas et al 2005, who have identified acethylcholinesterase activity and its receptors were described and the general characteristics of these systems were corroborated. The cholinergic system is involved in the reproduction and the fertility control because some neuropeptides control the synthesis of selected glycoproteins like the luteinizing hormone (LH) and gonadotropin (Vijayan 1985).…”

On the serotonergic nervous system of two planktonic rotifers, Conochilus coenobasis and C. dossuarius (Monogononta, Flosculariacea, Conochilidae)

“…Peripheral neurites innervate the mastax and sometimes form a complex neural network (Kotikova et al 2005). In the posterior trunk, neurites may arise off the major nerve cords and innervate the toes (Kotikova 1995). While some variation in this organization is present, the extent of our knowledge is based almost exclusively on species of Ploima, and to a large degree, the results of chemical histofluorescence (Nogrady and Alai 1983; Raineri 1984; Nogrady 1987, 1988;Kotikova 1988Kotikova , 1995Kotikova , 1997Kotikova , 1998.…”

“…With this in mind, recent attention has been directed at other organ systems, namely the muscular system (Hochberg and Litvaitis 2000;Kotikova et al 2001Kotikova et al , 2004Sørensen et al 2003;Santo et al 2005;Sørensen 2005a, b) and nervous system (Kotikova 1995(Kotikova , 1997(Kotikova , 1998Kotikova et al 2005), the latter of which generally shows a high degree of conservation and may therefore provide clues to the origins and evolution of different lifestyles. More specifically, increasing attention has been directed at the nervous systems of the most heterogeneous rotifers, the ploimates (Kotikova, 1988(Kotikova, , 1995(Kotikova, , 1997(Kotikova, , 1998Kotikova et al, 2005). While no ploimates are colonial, their diverse lifestyles and body morphologies provide an index against which to measure neuroanatomical variation -indeed, conservation within such diversity suggests that a Bauplan for the construction of the nervous system arose prior to the divergence in lifestyles.…”

Reduced expression of exocytotic proteins caused by anti-cholinesterase pesticides in Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera: Monogononta)

“…The same effect can be observed in the rotifers Brachionus calyciflorus, B. angularis, and B. patulus exposed to methyl-parathion (Fernández-Casalderrey et al, 1993;Flores et al, 1999;Sarma et al, 2001;Flores et al, 2004) and the rotifer Lecane quadridentata exposed to carbaryl and methyl-parathion (Pérez-Legaspi et al, 2012). Thus, since rotifers are aquatic invertebrates with cholinergic (Nogrady and Alai, 1983;Raineri, 1984;Pineda-Rosas et al, 2005), catecholaminergic (Kotikova 1995), and serotoninergic (Kotikova et al, 2005) nervous system, there are susceptible to toxic effects of these pesticides in the aquatic environment. The impact of pollutants on the distribution of rotifer species, can be decisive in aquatic ecosystems (Medeiros et al, 2010).…”